To think this child should have been kept off school (nits)?!!!

Nits don't like tea tree. I bought a small spray bottle and put a few drops of tea tree essential oil and water in it. I kept it by the front door and mine had their heads misted before they went to school. That helped keep them away.

It was anything but neglect. You have no idea about the time and money that was spent.

At that time she went to school with a family of three children, they all had it so badly that you could actually see the lice running around on top of their heads (my DD’s were never that bad, there were only enough to be hidden down the bottom) but when you’ve got to mix with children like that, no matter how you treat your own child you’re probably not going to get rid of them.

Well the only reason half the class always have nits is because the same parents continuously don't treat their kids and send them in.

It was a chemical shampoo, unfortunately I don’t recall the name (DD is 15 now so this is almost 10 years ago) and one I found for sale in a hairdresser’s rather than the chemist where I’d purchased all the other treatments. We’re in NZ though so not sure what is available in which countries.

Agreed. You need to get used to it if you stay in that job. You'll probably get parents blaming you for the existence of the head lice too (nits are the unhatched eggs).

Hair spray seems to help repel them. They don't jump on to you btw they walk from head to head and it's a reaction to the bites that causes itching not their trampling feet.

Why would school need to close for a fortnight for head lice?

What’s stopping parents from using a nit comb in the morning before school?

Yabu. If parents phoned in to say their child was missing days of school as they had to make absolutely sure ALL the nits were gone, I think they'd get a letter home about attendance tbh 😂

Just wear your hair up tight as suggested (or cut it shorter). I've been a primary school TA before and only ever caught nits from my own dd if that makes you feel any better.

Well thanks everyone, my head is now itching like an absolute bastard 😁

It's just part of living with or working with kids. I'm amazed my daughter only ever had them once in nursery and never in primary school (so far). Just be vigilant, tie your hair back at work, and use a lice comb regularly to check your own hair.

A good nit come and conditioner.
Just check your hair a couple of times a week whilst in the bath or shower. Conditioner makes your hair smoother to comb through.
Yes it’s part of having g kids. We all got them including the kids GM.
DD was great at checking her long hair. I’d hear her tapping the comb on the side of the bath 😁

No you treat the child. My kids are older now, my son had them once in primary school. He was treated. Combed through every night for a couple of weeks. No one else in the family got them.

I do think some people are more prone than others - does hair type/blood type make a difference? I never caught nits as a child and my 3 dc (now teens) have also never had nits. Whereas others seems to get them regularly - definitely not judging, just feel very lucky (we have had worms though, that was a fun week).

I do remember getting very itchy and very paranoid whenever they were doing the rounds though - I suspect that part is psychological.

Oh good grief. Get a grip.

Our school send an email to say if there are any live lice they should be treated and not be in school until
no live ones are found

I haven't read the full thread, so I apologise if I'm repeating, but this is a good resource common illnesses in school children https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/is-my-child-too-ill-for-school/

This was me as a kid, I would have failed school if I had to stay off that much.

Plus every parent would lie and say their kid had nits every time they wanted to take them out of school for a term-time holiday if you forced kids to stay off. It's too easy a loophole.

If you're worried about nits, worms, any kind of virus, illness, germs, or anything similar, a school is not the place for you.

But presumably you were a kid at some point, no?

Surely they can't be a new concept to you? Your parents literally never owned a nit comb or nit shampoo or treated your hair with homemade remedies, even as just a preventative?

Of course it’s not neglect. I’m in the same boat with my daughters. Constant lice for years now, despite combing with a nitty gritty and conditioner every other night after giving up with the not treatments that did sod all. It’s maddening.

This is exactly what happens. So frustrating.

I absolutely did not neglect my child - headlice are very difficult to eradicate.

If anyone is still in the nit stage of life with their DC the thing that eradicated them for us was a weekly hair rinse with a strong infusion of quassia tree bark. I bought a small sack of the stuff from amazon. You need the sort that makes the water incredibly bitter. Shampoo, condition, nit comb as usual, rinse clean with water, then final rinse with quassia bark water. Nits hate it.

I was a teacher and it would not have been acceptable to phone in sick with headlice, so my DC went to school with live lice - or came home with live lice. Would you be OK with school closing for a fortnight due to headlice?

It really stunk ,but it left a residue so you were ok for a little while .You could actually get a prescription for it from the doctors.(my heads now itching)